Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Following an investigation, the madams of the various brothels and the criminals were brought to the government for rigorous trial.

Their past misdeeds, such as forcing women into prostitution, abusing women, and engaging in illegal transactions, have all been exposed one by one.

Then, depending on the severity of their crimes, some were sentenced to exile, while others were imprisoned and forced into hard labor.

Their property was also confiscated and used as resettlement funds for these prostitutes.

Of course, those who did not commit any crimes were also given suitable jobs.

After all, since the imperial court dared to ban this industry, it would not allow so many people to lose their ability to support themselves, so it must have made proper arrangements.

During the investigation, it was also discovered that some brothels were supported by other forces.

For example, some local tyrants, criminal gangs, and corrupt officials collude with each other.

Of course, there are other forces and other purposes.

Some do it to make money, some to gather information, some to form cliques, and some for some ulterior motives, etc.

Lingyan showed no mercy and, taking advantage of this opportunity, joined forces with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to carry out a large-scale purge of these forces, eradicating them completely.

All criminal gangs were wiped out, leaving no one alive.

As for those who only wanted to make money from this, such as the Fifth Prince, Ling Yan didn't touch them at all.

After all, there's nothing wrong with making money, and there's nothing wrong with making money by running a brothel in this era.

She privately asked the Fifth Prince why he wanted to open a brothel to make money.

The fifth prince said that he had been fighting for many years, and although the court had never withheld the soldiers' pay, it had not reached the best standard.

Since the soldiers were working so hard, all he wanted was for them to eat and live a better life.

He did not embezzle, nor did he exploit the people, and Liuchunlou never coerced any woman.

He earned his money through his own abilities and secretly subsidized these soldiers.

After asking around, Lingyan went to investigate and verify the information.

An investigation revealed that in addition to Liuchunlou, he also owned other shops, such as teahouses and restaurants.

And the money earned each year was indeed mostly used for these soldiers.

Therefore, such public-spiritedness truly demonstrates great benevolence and righteousness.

However, he will absolutely not be allowed to do such a thing again.

Otherwise, where would the court's credibility be?

However, while the Fifth Prince is forbidden from acting in this way in private, the soldiers' pay should indeed be increased.

Aside from those like the Fifth Prince who are simply focused on making money.

Lingyan also punished other forces behind the scenes, such as those that formed cliques or spied on others.

Because they all have some other shady dealings to some extent, they certainly won't be let off the hook.

With this, the matter can be considered to have come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Afterwards, the abolition of brothels was not only implemented throughout the Great Zhao Kingdom, but also in the three kingdoms of Mobei, Nanjiang, and Beili.

Then, four countries in the world no longer had brothels.

Western Chu and Eastern Ling followed suit.

Just like the last time women participated in the imperial examinations, although there were many people who opposed it.

However, nowadays, whatever Da Zhao does, both countries have no choice but to follow suit.

So the matter was quickly and completely resolved.

Lingyan's vision of eliminating brothels from the world has finally been achieved.

However, these are all things for later.

Right now, it's the day of the grand court assembly on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The atmosphere in the court today was noticeably more somber than usual.

The officials who frequented brothels looked rather grim, and they kept glancing at Ling Yan and Xiao Muyao out of the corner of their eyes.

Several others exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts.

After the matters that needed to be discussed today were finished, a middle-aged official stepped forward first.

He first bowed respectfully to Xiao Muyao, then cleared his throat and said, "Your Highness, I have heard that you recently banned brothels. This is truly inappropriate! Brothels have existed for a long time, and although they have their flaws, they are still places of entertainment for many literati, officials, and nobles. Now, this ban not only leaves many men without a place to go, but also leaves many people who make a living from this without a livelihood. This may cause a lot of chaos. I hope Your Highness will reconsider and withdraw your order."

As soon as he said this, many officials in the court secretly agreed with him.

However, only a few people voiced their agreement.

Xiao Muyao glanced at the officials, his expression calm yet exuding an undeniable air of authority.

He slowly began to speak: “My lords, brothels may seem like just a place for entertainment, but you must not forget how many women’s blood and tears are hidden there. How many respectable women have been forced to come here, suffering endless torment, losing their families and lives. My actions are precisely to restore justice to our Great Zhao and allow those innocent women to see the light of day again. How could this be an inappropriate act?”

At this moment, Minister Yu of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and immediately echoed, "Your Highness is absolutely right. Brothels are inherently places of filth and filth, breeding countless evil deeds. Their abolition is a truly benevolent act. Those who supposedly have lost their livelihoods have already been properly taken care of by the court, ensuring they all have places to go. How could this cause chaos? It is those officials who linger in brothels and only seek their own selfish desires who should reflect on their actions."

These words undoubtedly struck a nerve with many officials.

The officials who frequented brothels blushed with embarrassment, but could not retaliate and could only grit their teeth in silence.

Meanwhile, the debate in the court continued. Minister of Personnel Zhou stepped forward and said, "That's right. Through this crackdown on brothels, we have also discovered that many brothels are involved with various criminal gangs and collude with some corrupt officials. If they are not shut down, these malignant tumors will only grow stronger and endanger the foundation of our Great Zhao."

His words made many officials feel uneasy.

Officials who had connections with the forces behind brothels were even more uneasy, fearing that they would be exposed.

Just as everyone was arguing, Ling Yan stepped forward.

Her gaze swept over every official present, and she slowly said, "My lords, courtesans are also human beings. They should not be treated as playthings and confined to such filthy places for their entire lives. Since the court has taken action to abolish this practice, it is naturally because it has considered all aspects. All matters and people have been properly arranged, and I am sure you have all heard about this. Therefore, I hope that you will not argue about such matters anymore, but rather consider the long-term stability of our Great Zhao and the well-being of our people."

Lingyan's words were reasonable and well-founded, leaving many officials who were originally dissatisfied unable to find a reason to refute her.

But there were still some stubborn officials who refused to give up.

Another official stepped forward and said, "That's true, but banning brothels has cost a lot of money. The resettlement costs and many other follow-up matters are all considerable expenses. The court's money doesn't grow on trees."

Lingyan smiled slightly upon hearing this and replied, "My lord, please don't forget that the property of those who committed evil deeds in brothels has been confiscated and put to public use. This can be used as resettlement funds. Moreover, this is also for the sake of improving the social atmosphere of our Great Zhao and enabling the people to live and work in peace. A small investment of money will bring long-term benefits."